Within the Clouds
by The Eternal Scribe
Summary: Life is fleeting and one can be effortlessly erased from existence without a moments notice. I didn't assume to know everything, but I was pretty certain death was supposed to be permanent. One doesn't just get reborn and turned into the opposite sex. OC Self Insert.


**AN: **Yeah I made another one, surprised? No? I don't blame you, but when the bunnies come hopping I just can't stop the typing.

**Warnings: **Self-insert OC, Mafia violence, gore especially in this chapter, some AU, and perhaps eventually slash.

**{Within the clouds}**

_Ne, if you died what would your last thought be?_

_Would it be of the terror of dying? Would you plead and beg for God not to kill you? Or would death be so sudden that any thought was useless when you realized that you could do nothing to stop what was going to happen?_

_Not many people realize how fragile life really is, how easily one can be erased from the face of the planet. They are too busy worrying about money or what they're going to do in their life to think about _death_._

_No one wants to die, at least not alone. They want to be reunited with their loved ones no matter where they go because somewhere deep inside all anyone wants is companionship. _

_Death, unlike life, is forever. And no one, no matter how powerful, will be able to avoid the inevitable. Once you were dead that was it, your flame was blown out never to be rekindled again._

_That's what I liked to think anyways._

**{Within the clouds}**

"Oh my god! Someone call the police!" Like thunder a woman's scream tore through the air and shattered the frozen state everyone had fallen into. Instantly people started to murmur and some turned away with pale faces, sounds of phones dialing and frantic voices filled the air as everyone talked at once.

"I can't believe that just happened."

"How terrible, I hope everyone is okay."

Peeking out from her mother's legs Leah looked at the scene with wide eyes as she stared at the steaming vehicle that had wrapped around the telephone pole like a snake on branch. A bloodied hand was hanging limply out of a broken window, the crimson liquid trailing down and dripping onto the ground in small streams.

She didn't know what had happened; all she could comprehend was that people were badly hurt.

"Leah don't look." Her mother urged and she frowned slightly when a hand went to cover her eyes.

Slightly irritated she brought a few of her mother's fingers down slightly so she could peek out from between them.

Slowly she trailed her eyes down to take in all the dents and cracks the car had received, she_ really_ hoped that the people were okay. Momma had told her when people were badly hurt they would end up as angels and she wouldn't be able to see them again. That made her sad since the they were forced to leave the people they loved behind.

But where did the Nee-san go, the one who had smiled at her with warm brown eyes before crossing the road?

Leah glanced around at the people surrounding them until she reached the street stilling when she spotted a form lying on the road.

_What? _Brown hair floating slightly with the breeze and familiar brown eyes stared at her without blinking. _No way…_

"M-momma." She whispered her eyes tearing up.

Red trailed down the Nee-san's pale face in small rivulets and the once soft brown gaze that had been accompanied by a nice sounding voice had been replaced with an empty gaze. It was as if the Nee-san's soul had left her body and only left an empty shell.

"What-"He mother gasped and she was pulled close so her face was pressed into her mother's legs. "Oh my Lord, Leah come on you shouldn't be seeing this." She was picked up gently and she pressed her face into her mother's neck stifling sobs.

Hesitantly she peeked up to look at the Nee-san's form. _Please God let Nee-san join your angels._ She mentally whispered and burrowed her head into her mother's neck once again.

The blaring sound of the ambulance soon echoed through the streets like a phantom's cry.

**{Within in the clouds}**

When my eyes opened I shut them immediately and groaned at the blinding light that threatened to burn them out. Goodness I hated waking up to the sunlight, some may call it pleasant but really it was just something that interrupted my favorite hobby.

"I see you woke up." A smooth tenor that most definitely wasn't anyone I knew spoke.

Startled I jolted up and twisted my head up and to the side, freezing at the sight before me. A very, very handsome male with smooth locks of obsidian stood beside me with calm amethyst eyes that spoke of years of battle and hardship. I would know since I've seen it on my father's face whenever he thought I wasn't looking.

"Who…?" I finally questioned, wondering why in the world this angel of a man was speaking to me. He looked like an emperor with his long locks and elegantly constructed facial features, someone who wouldn't usually talk to a girl like me.

He dipped his head. "Kazehaya Hisoka."

I bowed my head back though slightly deeper since he was obviously older than me and of high standing. "Fujimoto Momoko, it's nice to meet you Kazehaya-san," I greeted quietly. "Forgive my bluntness but what are you doing here?"

He raised a dark brow and his lips quirked. "It is you who I should be asking that question."

"Eh?" I responded ineloquently staring at him with wide eyes.

He waved a hand and I finally surveyed my surroundings. Greenery surrounded me on all sides, rolling hills of it as far as I could see and above it a beautiful blue sky with pure white clouds decorating it stretched endlessly. The sight was as beautiful as it was shocking, this certainly wasn't Japan anymore.

I turned to look at the dark haired male with slightly frantic eyes. "Where are we?" I was a usually composed individual but this warranted a slight panic attack in my books.

A gust of warm wind blew across the field making his dark hair twirl in the wind elegantly while the simple purple kimono he was wearing floated lazily around his legs. "I'm not enough of a saint to assume it is Heaven." He replied bringing a pale hand up to move the hair out of his face. "But I suppose one would call it Limbo."

"Limbo?"

His amethyst eyes softened slightly at my question. "Yes the world between Heaven and Hell is only fitting for one like me."

I looked down at my hands watching as they shook slightly at the realization. I was dead? What-

_A blaring horn and squealing tires…_

_Fear and shock as I realized the Vehicle couldn't stop…_

_Pain as my body collided with the roof of the car and soul shattering agony as my head slammed into the metal with a sickening 'thwack'…_

Ah, I did die.

That wasn't fair; I hadn't even begun living my life. I had just finished High School and was finally going to get my Financial Aid that I had to fill all the papers out for so I could go to college. I was planning on joining the Navy like my father and imagined coming home to him in the Uniform that I had seen him wearing in pictures.

I had worked so hard and now I had nothing. I wasn't even with mother, I was stuck with this stranger.

"Losing something you cherish is always hard." Kazehaya's voice was solemn and I looked up at him in a slight daze. "But we must learn to find our strength once again and move on."

I nodded numbly, unlike other people when they experienced something as mind shattering as this I would shut down and try to figure out what I could do, how I could improve and get out of the situation.

Yet this wasn't something I could get out of, this was permanent.

For a moment we just stayed in silence, Kazehaya was polite enough to allow me to grieve and for that I was thankful. I wasn't one to cry loudly but I could feel the tears falling down my face as I tried to come to terms with my situation.

My poor father would be devastated, he had lost mother and now since I was gone he would have no one. I hoped that he wouldn't do something stupid, that perhaps he would find someone that brought light to his life once again, he deserved to be happy.

"You have a strong will little one."

I looked back up at Kazehaya who was staring down at me with sharp eyes and I found myself unable to look away from them. He continued to look for something for a moment and those few moments felt like he was searching my soul before he finally hummed as if he had found what he was looking for.

"I have a proposition for you Fujimoto."

"A proposition?" I repeated curiously, wiping the remaining tears I had shed with the back of my hand. "What do you mean?"

He closed his eyes and I could hear sadness in his voice as he spoke. "I left my family before my time because of my own foolishness and they are left with no one to protect them."

"You think I'll be able to help them." I acknowledged in a disbelieving tone. "Me?"

Kazehaya opened his eyes and a mysterious gleam in them made me narrow my eyes suspiciously. "Ah."

I sighed and looked down at the grass, this was all so unreal. I died, this prince guy was here and he was actually asking me to help his family. I assumed that would mean I got sent back to earth so I would be a living, breathing being once again. While that sounded nice I barely even knew the dude and for all I knew he could be trying to trick me into something that I would regret later on.

But...

I peeked up at him and met gazes with his unusually colored eyes. People say that eyes are the door to someone's soul and if that was true I could tell that he wasn't a bad person. I could see determination and the will to help his family shining within his eyes. He loved his family, that much was obvious despite the lack of smiles that I had yet to be graced with.

What could go wrong? Well a lot, but in the whole scheme of things I think everything would even out at some point. I just had to protect his family, from what I had no clue. But he wouldn't put some weak girl in the front lines to fight a dragon or some crazy powerful bad guy, right?

Pursing my lips I finally nodded. I didn't want to stay here forever, I wanted to_ live_.

"Very good."

You know those moments when something awesome happens in a movie and goose bumps raise on your skin while a chill runs down your spine? I was suddenly having one of those moments.

I jerked my head up and stared at Kazehaya watching with unbelieving eyes as he was suddenly consumed in a purple fire that spread around his body and out until it was nearly touching my form.

Slightly shocked I jerked back watching as his eyes started to glow making them even more unusual then they had been before. I could_ feel_ the strength and pure will coming off him like one could feel a storm brewing. A tendril of the purple flame reached out and wrapped around my wrist making me jolt in fear before calming down when I realized that I wasn't getting burned.

"Good luck Fujimoto Momoko." Kazehaya said his lips quirking slightly.

I copied the action watching as the flame slowly started to engulf my body, it wasn't cold nor hot it just _was_. It made my blood start to race though and I felt like I could run for miles without getting tired.

Then suddenly I felt nothing.

**{Within the clouds}**

Once long ago the Kazehaya Famigila was well-known, once it had members all around the world who were each loyal to their Famigila and would die rather then betray them. Much like the Hibari the Kazehaya Famigila were known for their tenacity to fight first and ask questions later, which meant everything within eyesight would be leveled before someone was finally able to calm them down enough to have a peaceful talk.

The Kazehaya weren't the most social either but were more serene while the volatile Hibari were much, _much_ more inpatient and unaccepting of anyone telling them what to do. But sometimes a lucky Famigila would collect one of the Kazehaya who were known for their undying loyalty once it was gained.

It wasn't surprising though that as time passed the Kazehaya started to dwindle and more times then not it was because they took on more then they could chew. More and more started disappearing after going to battle or their corpse was found in a bloody field with many others, and soon the once large Famigila only had one full-blooded member.

Like many of the full-blooded Kazehaya he had the eyes the same color of the flame he wielded and fought with the ferocity of a tiger. He unlike many of his kin found a wife and had a child but eventually he too disappeared leaving only a legacy behind him.

Many called the Kazehaya blood thirsty monsters and feared that one day they would rise again and take the Mafia world by storm. They feared that the Vongola would not only have the Hibari, which only happened from time to time since that particular clan disliked crowding to a very high degree, but would also have a Kazehaya in their grasp. Each always had children who wielded the cloud flame and brought terror to those who dared threaten their family.

Yet as years passed and such a thing didn't happen the rumors became gossip then stories until finally it was only whispers of a legend.

Looking ahead and knowing that this was going to happen that one full-blooded Kazehaya that you read about hid the fact that he had a child from the world. That child was sent with her mother to a small town where the father knew they would be safe, and at that town the small child grew into a young woman. Though she did not have the eyes that showed she would one day wield the flame she was of Kazehaya blood, which meant one of her children would have the chance of having the eerie gaze.

Like any other woman she fell in love with a man who had a gentle smile and unusual red eyes. Their similar personalities drew them together like magnets and within one week the man had the woman falling deeply in love with him while he too fell for her.

Jokingly they would say it was fate that drew them together and perhaps it was.

Unfortunately each held secrets from each other, ones that if they had spoken up they would have realized that perhaps they were more alike then they knew. Perhaps if the man knew that the woman was also affiliated with the Mafia he would have not have vanished and left her alone in her bed. If maybe the woman had known he was perfectly capable of handling himself against any rare assassins that had figured out who she was related to she would have married him and live happily ever after.

Alas when the sun broke through the curtains and awoke the woman she was alone and heartbroken. The man solemn as he traveled across the state so that the woman wouldn't be in danger of being killed because of who he was.

Three weeks later the woman's world crumbled as she looked at the small white object and new tears fell down her face as the green sign seemed to taunt her. Not knowing what to do she returned back to her mother who only listened with a calm disposition as her daughter told her of the surprise coming.

While she knew her daughter was heartbroken and terrified the older woman realized that perhaps this wasn't all too terrible. She reached forward and wrapped her daughter in a hug whispering to her words of promise telling her that this was the opportunity they had been waiting for. The Kazehaya Famigila was going to have another member and perhaps that member would have the same eyes that her daughters father had had, one that promise the Cloud Flame.

Months passed and the mother made sure that her daughter was healthy and happy while she carried the precious bundle. The daughter stopped breaking down when she thought of the man and instead thought of the day she would get to hold her baby with a loving smile.

Finally nine months and three days passed and the mother sat patiently beside her daughter as she heaved and pushed the being out to the new world. It took eight sweaty hours and the daughters voice going hoarse for the child to come and take it's first breath.

The now grandmother held the baby while her daughter slept, looking down at the small bundle with the warm eyes she only showed her family members. The baby was a boy as they soon were told and she waited paitently for the little one to open his eyes for the first time. While he was loud and wiggled like a fish out of water she could tell that he had the Kazehaya fighting spirit within him, and her heart clenched as she took in his features. High cheek bones along with a slim face and a straight nose, it was as if she were looking at the copy of her late husband in her arms.

Perhaps...

Finally as the sun broke over the mountains the small babe opened his eyes and a wide smile formed on the grandmother's face as she met startling amethyst eyes.

The Kazehaya line wasn't completely doomed after all, the little boy would grow and rise up to join the Vongola like his grandfather before him. They would finally be able to show everyone that they weren't just rumors and perhaps he would stand by the Vongola Decimo's side as an advisor or perhaps even a guardian.

Well maybe not the latter since she had heard news of the Hibari Clan having a son just months before, but her grandson would undoubtedly be part of the Vongola.

She would make sure her grandson was trained and strong for that time, she promised her husband where ever he had eneded while clutching the babe close to her chest.

In the Kazehaya Famigila promises could only broken in death.

**{Within the clouds}**

It had been a few weeks since that bastard prince had made me come out of a woman's you-know-what. I had actually been conscious and could _remember_ being born. I really wish that weren't true, knowing _what _I had come out of all wet and sticky with something I couldn't even imagine what it was wasn't something to be remembered with a smile.

Oh and lets not forget about a small thing called sex changing. It wasn't anything important, just a _life changing_, _mind boggling_ experience I had yet to come to terms with. Note the sarcasm.

Honestly being a boy was a small change compared to what I had just been through. I had died, went to Limbo and then been reborn all in one go. Wasn't I just special?

My eyesight took a while to finally clear but eventually I was able to make out the two figures that took care of me. One was a woman with long brown hair and light brown eyes, she was perhaps the happiest person I had met. Her smiles were like the sun and she was constantly calling me her 'little cloud' in a baby voice that wasn't all too pleasant. Then there was the calm older woman who walked with her eyes forward and back straight, like the younger woman she had brown eyes but her grey hair and slight wrinkles made me assume she was most likely my grandmother.

Which meant the brunette was my mother.

That word still felt weird to think, I had lost my mother when I was ten in my past life and I hadn't thought I would be able to gain another one.

The two woman were pleasant all around though I likened toward the older woman since she seemed to be the more mature one of the two. I was at least thankful that I had been born in a place where they spoke my mother language, I wasn't the fastest at learning a foreign language after all.

I also learned the two woman's names, my grandmother was called Kazehaya Chiyo while her daughter was called Kazehaya Choko.

It was rather embarrassing that I had to be changed, fed and bathed by the two woman regularly which made me curse and promise to learn to control myself as soon as possible. I didn't like being taken care of, I liked controlling what I did where I went and who I was around, yeah I was a little controlling but everyone has their faults.

Over time I learned that we lived in a small town called Namimori and didn't _that_ just sound familiar. I may not be the brightest tool in the shed but I soon realized where I had been Reborn.

Katekyo Hitman Reborn wasn't the worst anime one could be born into, for all I knew I could have been fighting giants or spitting fire out of my mouth. But it was still dangerous all in itself. The Anime didn't really show how dangerous being the Mafia was while the Manga was slightly more detailed. I just really hoped that I wasn't born in some well-known Famigila since that would make assassin and unwanted attention swarm toward me like flies. If I was just a normal citizen that meant I could go through life and watch as a bystander when Tsuna ran around in his boxer and Gokudera blew up stuff with his dynamite.

Finally learned how to sit up on my own as time passed with Choko cheering in the background.

"I'm so proud of you Masa-kun!" She cooed with sparkles dancing around her face. "Momma is so proud of her big boy for sitting up!"

I internally rolled my eyes.

"Choko." Chiyo reprimanded as if she felt my displeasure. "Please, he's a Kazehaya he doesn't need to be spoken to that way."

Choko pouted. "Just because he acts and looks like Tou-sama doesn't mean we need to treat him like an adult." She replied with a huff. "Masato is only four months old!"

Well not really but they didn't need to know that.

Chiyo glared at her daughter from the corner of her eye for a moment before taking a deep breath to calm herself down. "I know that Choko, I've been here since he was born."

"Then why do you treat him like he's an adult? Children need to be cherished and enjoy life while they can."

"Look at him Choko." Chiyo motioned toward me with one of her hands where I sat listening quietly to their conversation. "He understands what we're saying perfectly, if he acted like a normal child I would agree with you but he's obviously not."

Internally I nodded my head in agreement. I was purposely acting this way so they would stop treating me like a little kid as soon as possible, I disliked being coddled in anyway since I was used to being an independent teenager. But I wasn't going to show how 'smart' I actually was. I had no intention of skipping grades or doing something that would draw attention to myself. They would see me as a very mature child but that's all I was going to give them, other wise I was planning on making my grades as normal as possible and basically be an observer until I got out of High school.

"I guess you're right, but that wont stop me from loving him." As if to prove her point Choko picked me up and cuddled me to her chest. "He's still my little cloud."

Chiyo sighed but other wise didn't say anything else. I guess that's all the freedom I was going to get until I could at least walk and talk, then I would be able to show Choko why she didn't need to constantly watch over me. Meanwhile I was going to have to deal with all the cuddles and kisses.

Joy.

**{Within the clouds}**

**AN: **I actually have this story planned out which is rare since I usually just go with whatever feels right. This story is obviously going to be different from the other one I have but I hoped you enjoyed it either way.

Anyways feel free to tell me what you think and forgive any mistakes.


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